You are here

Jacobs Ladder (pt 2)

Thankfully the last few hundred metres had been a lot less steep than those that preceded them. Hyle felt the relief in her legs although the constant thick mist had seeped into her clothes, combining with the sweat, making her feel uncomfortable throughout. How much further? She thought.

The lead man walked cautiously forward, peering once again into his screen. To one side than the next, aligning the two dots on the display.

“We’re here!” He announced.

“You’re sure?

“Got to be, everything else is downhill ,ay?”

There was a general unclipping of caribiners and the thudding of rucksacks. Hyle allowed Blondie to unclip her from the safety rope as she pulled the touque from her head, revealing the matted mess of hair beneath.

All gathered, forming a rough circle around what seemed to be the summit, occupying a sphere of visibility inside the grey void.

“Hell of a view.” One quipped. He tugged at his rucksack and yanked out a plastic box and a few packs of food. The others, including Hyle followed suit. The banter subsided, replaced by silent contemplation and the rustling of various wrappings and manly nomming. Hyle found herself sporting a smile.

“How high?” She asked.

“Two thousand eight hundred and eighty eight feet, four inches.” came the Canadian reply as he peered into his screen.

“Smartypants. Put the damned thing on your head for the full ninety feet hmm? Anyway, How many metre?”

“Eight-eighty.”

“Wow...” Hyle leaned back on her pack and stretched her legs out in front. Despite the disappointing fog, she felt elated, the sense of achievement making her grin.

“Hell of a view!”

“All at once, the clouds are parted Light streams down in bright unbroken beams...”

Sinewed sunshaft fingers bit by bit tore the gloom apart. Like the unveiling of a priceless exhibit. Like the revelation of something astounding. Something to lift the heart. Like a priceless gift.

One by one the travellers stood up and gathered together as the panorama unfolded. The ceaseless grey retreated, they turned awestruck eyes on the sea, the islands, the fjords far below. Bright sunlit greens contrasted against the dark ocean, the distant black cliffs with white spray fringes.

“Follow men’s eyes as they look to the skies,

The shifting shafts of shining weave the fabric of their dreams…”

The travellers cheered. One by one slapping backs the next in celebration. And one by one they passed Hyle, their special guest around, hugging her tightly. Congratulating.

“Wait wait..”

Hyle dove into the bottom of her pack, retrieving the bottle of clear-gold liquid, Proudly presenting it to her friends.